Quick installation pipe coupling with supporting barrier ring

Abstract

A quick installation pipe coupling includes a supporting barrier ring that is located between a gasket and a bottom wall of an annular channel that is defined by housing segments in between arcuate engaging shoulders thereof. The supporting barrier ring extends as a protective barrier circumferentially around an outer surface of the gasket, and is dimensioned and configured to support the housing segments spaced-apart in a pre-assembled ready for installation state of the coupling with their arcuate engaging shoulders delimiting insertion openings towards the central space that are larger than cross-sectional dimensions of the pipe ends before tightening of connection members.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A quick installation pipe coupling configured for connecting pipe ends, comprising:
 a plurality of housing segments, each housing segment comprising radially inwardly projecting arcuate engaging shoulders that are configured for engaging pipe ends;   one or more tightenable connection members for connecting the housing segments with each other while surrounding a central space for insertion of said pipe ends; and   a gasket that is received into an annular channel that is defined by the housing segments in between the arcuate engaging shoulders and that is configured to engage sealing on said pipe ends upon tightening of the one or more connection members,   wherein the coupling further comprises a supporting barrier ring that is located between the gasket and a bottom wall of the annular channel that is defined by the housing segments in between the arcuate engaging shoulders,   wherein the supporting barrier ring extends as a protective barrier circumferentially around an outer surface of the gasket, and   wherein the supporting barrier ring is dimensioned and configured to support the housing segments spaced-apart in a pre-assembled ready for installation state with their arcuate engaging shoulders delimiting insertion openings towards the central space that are larger than cross-sectional dimensions of said pipe ends before tightening of the one or more connection members.   
     
     
         2 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting barrier ring has a split and has circumferentially overlapping end portions in the pre-assembled ready for installation state that are configured to increase their overlap upon tightening of the one or more connection members. 
     
     
         3 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 2 , wherein complementary male and female parts are provided on the respective overlapping end portions of the supporting barrier ring, wherein the female part extends in the circumferential direction along its respective overlapping end portion, and wherein the male part is movably guided in the circumferential direction along the female part. 
     
     
         4 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 3 , wherein the female part is a slit or groove and the male part is a pin that projects into or through the slit or groove, wherein the slit or groove comprises a narrowing that is configured to form the temporary locking connection by only letting the pin pass by the narrowing towards a sliding section of the slit when the tightening of the one or more connection members reduces the spacing between the housing segments and forces the end portions of the supporting barrier ring to increase the end portions overlap. 
     
     
         5 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 2 , wherein the overlapping end portions of the supporting barrier ring are provided with a temporary locking connection that is configured for temporary connecting and locking the supporting barrier ring in the pre-assembled ready for installation state. 
     
     
         6 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 5 , wherein the temporary locking connection is configured to automatically unlock when a tightening of the one or more connection members reduces a spacing between the housing segments and forces the end portions of the supporting barrier ring to increase their overlap. 
     
     
         7 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting barrier ring extends freely with a play around the gasket in the pre-assembled ready for installation state. 
     
     
         8 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the gasket has a smaller diameter than an inner surface of the supporting barrier ring in the pre-assembled ready for installation state. 
     
     
         9 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting barrier ring comprises a metal material. 
     
     
         10 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting barrier ring comprises a plastic material. 
     
     
         11 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting barrier ring comprises a strip of sheet material. 
     
     
         12 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting barrier ring has a width that is smaller than a width of the gasket. 
     
     
         13 . The pipe coupling according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting barrier ring has a width that is equal to or larger than a width of the gasket. 
     
     
         14 . A method for quick installing a quick installation pipe coupling comprising:
 utilizing the quick installation pipe coupling according to  claim 1 .